Southern CA Regulators Mull Ban on Beach Bonfires

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Air quality regulators are considering a ban on beach bonfires in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District staff presented such a proposal to the board on Friday.

The California Coastal Commission has delayed voting on whether the city of Newport Beach can remove 60 beach fire rings because it first wants the AQMD to offer a recommendation about the pollution the fires create. The commission's staff recommends that the rings stay for the sake of preserving low-cost recreational facilities on the beaches.

The Orange County Register reports that the AQMD currently exempts open recreational fires, such as beach bonfires, from rules restricting wood burning.

The agency's board is expected to vote on the matter on May 3.

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